How repeated burglaries left a Grant Park business owner facing $30K in losses
Grant Park smoke shop hit by second break-in
A Grant Park smoke shop owner faces over $30,000 in total damages and stolen inventory following two break-in attempts at his Boulevard location.
ATLANTA - The owner of a longtime southeast Atlanta smoke shop says he's growing frustrated after thieves targeted his business for a second time, leaving behind thousands of dollars in damage and adding to financial losses that have already topped $30,000.
Surveillance video from the latest incident shows a man repeatedly striking a large front window at Wyzo's Smoke Shop on Boulevard in the Grant Park area in an apparent attempt to break inside.
What they're saying:
Owner Leonard Rodda has operated the business for 15 years. He says the repeated break-in attempts have become both financially and emotionally draining.
"As you can see, that man was crazy," Rodda said after reviewing the surveillance video.
Rodda said he first received an alert from his alarm company earlier this week but initially didn't see any signs of a break-in.
"I reset the alarm and went back home to bed, and I was thinking this may not be the last of it. And sure enough, it wasn't. About 1:30 I looked at my phone again and there was another message, and it was definitely a break-in," he said.
The backstory:
Surveillance video shows the suspect repeatedly trying to force his way into the business.
"He basically beat up my front door, which is unbreakable glass. It pissed him off. Then he went to the big window and beat the hell out of it. Then he realized there was something behind the big window. It's wood that's behind that window, and then he beat on it," Rodda said.
The latest break-in attempt comes after thieves successfully broke into the store during an earlier burglary.
Rodda said four masked suspects forced their way through the front entrance and stole merchandise while causing extensive damage.
"They came in here with these bags, and boy, they got it all in there," Rodda said.
What we know:
He said the first burglary resulted in roughly $30,000 in stolen merchandise and property damage. The latest attempted break-in is expected to cost another $3,000 to replace the shattered front window.
"Why would you do this? That's what I would like to know," Rodda said.
He says the repeated crimes come at a difficult time for many small businesses already facing rising costs.
"It's very frustrating because we are having a hard time right now. I'm trying to keep my doors open, and every week when I go to the wholesaler, everything is going up constantly," he said.
Rodda told FOX 5 that a nearby CVS was also recently targeted in a burglary.
What we don't know:
It remains unknown whether police have identified or arrested the man seen on surveillance video attempting to shatter the front window.
Authorities have not released the identities of the four masked suspects involved in the initial burglary.
It is unclear if the recent burglary at the nearby CVS is connected to the break-ins at Wyzo's Smoke Shop.
What you can do:
A GoFundMe has been created to help Wyzo's Smoke Shop recover from the losses and repair the damage caused by the break-ins.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5, who spoke directly with business owner Leonard Rodda and reviewed shop surveillance footage, as well as details provided in an online fundraising campaign.